


And It Came Crashing Down

by RoRoUrBoat



Series: Pridecember 2020 [2]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Dimension Travel, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Post-Yu-Gi-Oh! The Dark Side of Dimensions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-02
Updated: 2020-12-02
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:48:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,982
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27842506
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RoRoUrBoat/pseuds/RoRoUrBoat
Summary: Pridecember Day 2 - DesireKaiba and Atem know what they want from the other. A rival. A friend.Neither is actually correct.
Relationships: Kaiba Seto/Yami Yuugi | Atem
Series: Pridecember 2020 [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2035744
Comments: 7
Kudos: 15





	And It Came Crashing Down

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, second fic, let's goooo! I don't like this story as much as the last one, but oh well, I've got 29 other fics to write. Here goes nothing.

Never let it be said that Seto Kaiba was wanting for anything or any _one._

He could buy anything he wanted and have it within hours. He had fleets of helicopters at his beck and call. He was a technological genius. Anything he somehow managed to not have, he could just create. It was that simple.

So why, he occasionally caught himself wondering, did he insist on chasing after a certain dead pharaoh?

His first true humiliation, more so than his loss to Yugi’s Exodia, had been the beginning of Battle City, running after the pharaoh like a lost child. It was uncouth and, more than that, inexcusable. A lapse in composure he couldn’t let happen again.

But it did happen again. Again and again and _again._ Kaiba had spent nearly all of _his own tournament_ seeking a duel with the one person he had yet to beat, and had been denied in favor of the _Loser Brigade_ each time. A small, secret part of Kaiba was disappointed. He crushed that thought as soon as it reared its ugly head, though, reassuring himself that that was all perfectly expected.

So why, he more-than-occasionally caught himself wondering, was he doing _this_ ? He’d spent every waking hour (more hours than Mokuba liked), working, tinkering, building, _creating_ a vessel to take him to the pharaoh.

To take him to Atem.

In the odd few minutes between working and sleeping, Kaiba thought. He thought about his dark desire to be _seen_ by the pharaoh, to go head-to-head with him and, win or lose, feel the rush of a real challenge.

By his sixth day of work on transdimensional travel, Kaiba, tired and dizzy and witless, had to reluctantly admit to himself that he _wanted_. When the realization came upon him in the middle of a rough patch of code, he stilled his hands and stared into the vastness of space around him. He wanted…

He wanted to lay eyes on the pharaoh, he wanted to challenge him to a duel and see the spark of competition light up his eyes. He wanted to beat him, yes, but more than that, he _wanted him._ He wanted to be something to the pharaoh. And that something…

He had run a hand through his hair, leaned back, and wondered, for the first time, what exactly he was doing.

Seto Kaiba had no experience with this sort of thing. He’d always been cut off from his peers, either by his own design or another’s, and as a result was always above them, too good for them. But here he was.

Wanting a rival.

Kaiba supposed he had to accept it at some point, but that point would come later. First, he had to actually _reach_ the pharaoh. If he didn’t (as if that was a possibility), it would all be pointless to think about anyway. So, Kaiba shelved his desire until he could meet the pharaoh on even ground.

The day Seto Kaiba finally launched himself through dimensions in search of his greatest and only desire, ignoring it for all his worth, he wondered briefly if the pharaoh would be pleased to see him.

__

Atem had everything he could ever want or ever need. He had saved the world more times than anyone could keep track of, he had imparted strength to stand to his other self, and had been rewarded with an eternity in an afterlife surrounded by friends and allies.

Atem should not have been bored.

Somehow, though, that was the case. No matter how many talks with Mahad, games with Mana, or walks around the palace, something inside of him was restless. And after seeing Yugi again…

Atem was longing. He missed his friends. He knew he shouldn’t, that the gods had blessed him with the best afterlife possible, but he couldn’t help it. The tall star flowers of the Egyptian sands, standing strong in the palace gardens, reminded him of Yugi. Mana’s bubbly energy and relentless loyalty made him think of Anzu. And the deep blue of the oasis ponds…

They were just like Kaiba’s eyes.

Kaiba and Atem had never really been _friends,_ despite Atem’s best efforts, but Kaiba still barged into Atem’s mind.

“Mahad,” Atem asked his friend one day, frustrated and confused by his own thoughts, “Why do I still long for them? Why do I still think of them?”

Mahad had blinked in confusion for a brief moment before catching on. “Do you mean the friends you made in the mortal world, Your Highness?” 

  
Atem nodded, his eyes trained on a random spot behind Mahad. Mahad sighed.

“You’ve done a great deal for their world and ours, you know,” he said. “It’s not wrong to remember and think of your friends fondly.” Mahad waited for Atem to answer. When he made a noncommittal grunt, Mahad continued.

“You missed your allies from this world, didn’t you?” Mahad asked. Atem refocused on Mahad’s face and frowned, an indignant retort building in his throat, when Mahad held up a hand. “So,” he said, “it makes sense that you’d have similar thoughts of those you can no longer see, right?” Mahad finished, waiting patiently for Atem’s response. 

What Mahad said made sense, at least when applied to Yugi, Jounouchi, Anzu, and Honda, but Kaiba…

Atem didn’t know much about friends. He nodded to Mahad after a beat, satisfied with the answer he had received. Mahad was right. Atem was just missing his friends, including the one person he hadn’t quite managed to befriend. It was unfinished business, in a way. That must have been what kept Atem thinking about those blue eyes and sharp tongue.

Atem nodded once more and stood up from his throne, stretched, and headed for the palace entrance. A walk would do him some good.

__

Atem’s walk among the uneven sand of the desert was interrupted by a blinding light, reflecting harshly off of shifting sands. He raised an arm to shield his eyes, and through the golden shine, he saw a faint blue glow. Atem squinted, taking in as much detail as he could. His eyes burned, but he couldn’t look away. It was like something was compelling him, that blue glow drawing him in.

After what could have been hours and what could have been seconds, the gold light faded and a monolith of a human figure stepped forward.

“...Atem?”

Unsure, almost desperate, a voice emerged from the figure. That voice… But no, that tone didn’t fit him at all. Still…

As Atem’s eyes readjusted, he found himself captivated by a vision of the impossible.

Seto Kaiba stood, dressed in a flaring white trench coat and more gadgets than Atem could count, as though he belonged right there amidst the sands.

For the briefest of seconds, Kaiba looked… hesitant. Afraid. Before Atem could process the expression, though, it was gone, replaced with a self-satisfied smirk.

“Not as hard as I thought,” the cocky bastard said, looking down at his arms, inspecting his tech. Atem just stared, open-mouth, at what he wasn’t entirely sure was real.

As his shock slowly wore off, Atem’s face twisted into a fierce glower and he marched up to Kaiba.

“How are you here, Kaiba? This is-”

“Your eternal rest? Your hiding place, from life and from anyone you could disappoint? Or were you going to say your reward?” Kaiba looked down his nose at Atem, a sneer was firmly in place on his face, now, and Atem bared his teeth.

“You don’t know anything, you ass! I’m not hiding, this was always my fate! I’ve lived my life, damnit, this is all that’s left for me!”

“What about everyone you left behind? What about your friends, your _partner?_ What about-” Kaiba stopped short, taking a shallow breath, his face now inches from Atem’s. All at once, the fight went out of Atem. His friends, his other self, and-

“What about _you_ , you mean?” Atem almost whispered, a sympathetic look overtaking his features. Kaiba snarled and reared back.

“I don’t want your pity, Pharaoh! In fact, here and now, I challenge you to a-” Kaiba cut off when Atem stepped closer and grabbed the collar of his shirt. 

“You stupid jerk, it’s called sympathy! It’s something people express when a _friend_ is hurting! I’m _trying_ to be _nice!”_ Atem said, his words in direct opposition with the glare on his face. Kaiba glared harder.

“Oh, so I’m your _friend_ ? All those times you ignored me during Battle City, were you being my _friend_ ? Don’t kid yourself, Pharaoh, we’re _rivals,_ not friends.” Kaiba looked away. Atem was about to yell back at the pompous jackass, but something about Kaiba’s words struck him.

Kaiba, despite never beating Atem in a duel, was always reluctant to admit that _anyone_ could reach his level of skill or genius. To call Atem his rival… Atem smiled softly. Kaiba scowled at him, prepared, no doubt, to unleash his sharp tongue. Atem stopped him.

“I missed you, too.” 

Kaiba stopped dead. Astonishingly, right before Atem’s eyes, a slight flush entered Kaiba’s cheeks. Atem raised an eyebrow.

“Don’t kid yourself, Pharaoh,” Kaiba said, still blushing lightly, “I came to challenge you, to _duel_ you, not for some social call.” Somehow, Kaiba’s prickly tone and refusal to admit any sort of vulnerability didn’t bother Atem. Instead, he felt a sudden surge of affection for the stubborn jerk. It made Atem miss his other friends, a little bit. His other friends…

Something clicked in Atem’s head, and a flush overtook him, as well. 

Atem loved his friends, he loved Yugi, but this affection he felt for Kaiba… He didn’t want to high-five Kaiba or hug him. He wanted to put his forehead to Kaiba’s creased one and _laugh._ He wanted to grab Kaiba’s hand and _kiss_ him-

_Oh._

_...Huh._

Kaiba was staring at him. Atem must have been silent for too long. An idea came to his head, and he smirked.

“Do you really want a challenge, Kaiba?” Atem asked. Kaiba grinned back, feral. 

“ _Always._ ” 

Whatever Kaiba was expecting, it wasn’t for Atem to lean forward and plant his lips on Kaiba’s. Kaiba’s eyes widened, but he didn’t push Atem off. In fact, whether he realized it or not, Kaiba had reached a hand to hover next to Atem’s face. Hesitant, curious, but not angry.

Atem pulled off slowly, blinked, and then smiled a wild, satisfied sort of smile. Kaiba hadn’t pulled away.

Kaiba stayed in place for a nanosecond after Atem finished the kiss, and Atem was elated to see how viscerally _vulnerable_ Kaiba looked. Atem felt almost blessed.

Before Atem could drink in any more of the wonder of Kaiba’s lowered guard, Kaiba jerked back as though shocked and put his hands to his lips. 

“What-” Kaiba’s voice cracked, and he cleared his throat. “What the _hell_ was that for?” The snarl in Kaiba’s voice didn’t strike Atem as much more than a front, and Atem laughed. He laughed deep from his stomach, a cry of joy.

Kaiba glared at him, grabbed his shoulder, and growled. “You son of a-”

And before Atem knew it, he was being wrenched forward and his lips were slamming against Kaiba’s. Now it was Atem’s turn to be surprised, albeit pleasantly. He melted quickly into the kiss cupped Kaiba’s face.

Kaiba’s pulled away, a pink tint on his cheeks and a shade of shock in his eyes. Atem laughed again, and Seto blushed harder.

“What are you _laughing_ at?” he demanded. Atem’s laugh subsided and he sighed, reaching to clasp Kaiba’s hand.

“I think,” he started, licking his lips, “I want to kiss you again.”

Kaiba stared at him as though he’d grown a second head, looked away, and then muttered something.

“Huh?”

  
“Then _do it_ ,” Kaiba said, now facing Atem head on, eyes daring him to make a move. Atem smiled, chuckled, and leaned in

**Author's Note:**

> Hope y'all enjoyed, please drop a comment if you like it or if you see something I should fix!


End file.
